Coronavirus (COVID-19) travel insurance update
The spread of coronavirus has resulted in considerable disruption to travel plans. It has also caused some insurers to make changes to their policies or pull out of the market.
Be aware that policies bought on or after 12 March may lack cover for coronavirus-related incidents.
You can find the latest updates and news in our dedicated Which? coronavirus information hub.
- Find out more: what coronavirus means for your travel insurance
- Find out more: cancelling and changing your travel plans
How do I find the best travel insurance?
Finding the right travel insurance is not always easy - as well as a policy that will protect you on holiday, you need an insurer you can count on should the worst happen.
Which? is here to help. We rigorously analyse the quality of European and Worldwide travel insurance policies from hundreds of insurers. We also gather feedback from thousands of real customers on how they rate their provider to help you find top quality cover with a great customer experience.
The very best insurers in our analysis are rewarded with our coveted Which? Recommended Provider status.
Best and worst travel insurance companies
This review reveals which travel insurers have the best annual and single-trip insurance policies, along with top customer satisfaction scores.
To be a Which? Recommended Provider, an insurer must:
- Be regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
- Be available to the general public.
- Have received 30 or more responses in our customer survey.
- Have received an average or above average policy score (see table for current average score) and a customer score of 70% or above.
| Provider |  | Single-trip policy score | Annual-trip policy score | Total score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 83% | 83% | 83% | 83% |
|
| 76% | 82% | 82% | 79% |
|
| 75% | 83% | 83% | 79% |
|
| 77% | 80% | 80% | 78% |
|
| 79% | 75% | 75% | 77% |
|
| 76% | 79% | 79% | 77% |
|
| 73% | 81% | 81% | 77% |
|
| 71% | 83% | 83% | 77% |
|
| 77% | 75% | 75% | 76% |
|
| 74% | 75% | 75% | 75% |
|
| 74% | 73% | 73% | 74% |
|
| 77% | 70% | 70% | 74% |
|
| 74% | 74% | 74% | 74% |
|
| 73% | 75% | 75% | 74% |
|
| 77% | 68% | 68% | 73% |
|
| 79% | 64% | 64% | 72% |
|
| 73% | 68% | 68% | 71% |
|
| 76% | 63% | 63% | 70% |
|
| 70% | 70% | 70% | 70% |
|
| 75% | 63% | 63% | 69% |
|
| 72% | 66% | 66% | 69% |
|
| 72% | 65% | 65% | 68% |
|
| 69% | 67% | 67% | 68% |
|
| 70% | 63% | 63% | 67% |
|
| 73% | 60% | 60% | 66% |
|
| 70% | 62% | 62% | 66% |
|
| 72% | 58% | 58% | 65% |
|
| 73% | 55% | 55% | 64% |
|
| 71% | 56% | 56% | 64% |
|
| 78% | 52% | 52% | 65% |
|
| 71% | 55% | 55% | 63% |
|
| 67% | 59% | 59% | 63% |
|
| 66% | 61% | 61% | 63% |
|
| 71% | 52% | 52% | 61% |
|
| 72% | 45% | 45% | 59% |
*These insurers are no longer selling cover to new customers due to Coronavirus (COVID-19). Read more here.
**AXA will not cover any cancellation claims related to Coronavirus (COVID-19) for any policy purchased after 9am 13th March, or new trips booked with existing annual multi trip policies after the same date. Medical claims will still be covered. Aviva has removed travel disruption cover for new customers. The Post Office has removed travel disruption cover related to Coronavirus for new customers. Insure and Go is not offering new cover for Coronavirus-related incidents. Read more here.
Customer score data is based on a survey of 4,471 respondents from the general public telling us about their travel insurance provider in March 2019.
Sample breakdown: NFU Mutual (39), Tesco Bank (102), Boots (38), John Lewis (39), Just Travel Cover (40), M&S Bank (82),Post Office (132), NatWest (150), Age Co (39), Nationwide (382), HSBC (121), American Express (61),InsureandGo (210), LV (53), First Direct (40), Santander (68), Saga (198), Barclays (167), Thomas Cook (100), Lloyds (219), Co-op Insurance (47), Holidaysafe (52), Debenhams (49), Direct Line (149), Halifax (152), Virgin Money (90), Alpha Insurance (40), AXA (184), TSB (68), Aviva (200), Churchill (39), Admiral (50), Direct Travel (50), Staysure (164), Columbus Direct (43), Flexicover (61), RBS (81), All Clear (42), Bupa (39), AA (109).
Policy scores are based on the provider's standard policy. Annual and Single-trip policy score is our assessment of the quality of standard policies from each of the providers, comparing 22 categories from each policy type to come out with each overall score.
Providers must receive a minimum sample size of 30 respondents to generate a customer score and inclusion in the table.
Total score is made up of 50% of the Customer score and 25% each of Annual and Single-trip policy scores.
Who are the travel insurance Recommended Providers?
*Update: Coronavirus (COVID-19) and Which? Recommended Providers (WRPs) for travel insurance.
At the time of writing, none of our WRPs were selling travel insurance to new customers. Existing customers are unaffected: if you're due to renew an existing policy, get in touch with your insurer.
You can find out more about coronavirus and how it could affect your travel insurance here.
M&S Bank
M&S Bank retains its place as a recommended provider with strong ratings from its customers, resulting in a 79% customer score.
The high-street giant recorded high scores (8th out 40 insurers) for both annual and single-trip cover, based on its ‘Standard’ travel insurance policy.
Find out more in our full review of M&S Bank Travel Insurance
HSBC
One of the biggest banks in the world, HSBC offers a comprehensive level of cover on its travel insurance policy.
Around nine in 10 HSBC customers described the provider as good value for money, earning it a four-star rating in this category.
Find out more in our full review of HSBC Travel Insurance
LV
LV was founded in 1843, and is currently the third largest insurer in the UK.
Of the 40 providers we ranked on customer score, LV was one of only two to offer £10,000 cover for cancellation, curtailment and travel abandonment.
Find out more in our full review of LV Travel Insurance
First Direct
First Direct was praised for its customer service, achieving a five-star rating in this category.
Its customers also awarded it a five-star rating for value for money and affordable cover for pre-existing medical conditions.
Find out more in our full review of First Direct Travel Insurance
How we calculate the scores
Customer scores
The customer score is based on a survey of 4,471 general public respondents from March 2019. Each score is worked out using a combination of overall satisfaction and likelihood of recommending the provider.
If two or more brands achieve the same overall score, they are ranked to the next decimal place. Providers must receive a minimum sample size of 30 to be included.
Policy scores
The policy score is our assessment of the quality of standard cover, comparing 22 elements of annual and single-trip travel insurance policies. Providers must receive a minimum sample size of 30 respondents to be included.
Total score
Total score is made up of 50% of the customer score, and 50% of the policy score.
What about Brexit?
The UK will leave the European Union on 31 January 2020. However, there will be very little change to regulations, or your consumer rights, until the transition period ends on 31 December 2020. We’ll update this page with any developments.
